I wonder if I am the only who once in awhile struggles with something I shouldn't. I was fnishing a UFO top called Heart Patches. I have made it before with absolutely no problems. It went together like a dream.
This top I wanted to just chuck in the trash(It is still tempting!). It has 18 hearts which each have 6 hst and a rectangle, and it has 34 4-patches and 34 squares. This shouldn't be any big deal, but I struggled with my points matching and my seams matching. The only thing I can come up with is that one of the fabrics stretched.

Have you ever had an experience like this? Can you tell about it? My sister says I am anal about matching seams, but it is extremely frustrating. When I can stand to look at it, I will take a picture and post.

I have a bargello that I had to rip every seam apart meaning every strip of 24 pieces of fabric cut into 2 1/2 inches by 4"s had to be resewn not once but multiple times. I put it away for about 8 months then took it to a ufo retreat and ripped some more seams apart it is now named "The quilt that didn't want to be made". I should have been ok with it but just like you I had to have it perfect it was for my daughter.

I have a Lonestar top that makes me want to scream everytime I look at it! After I piced the top I wasn't real happy with my color choices; then it took me FOREVER to find a fabric to 'square' it with! When I finally found something I thought might work, I cut the pieces, sewed the first one in and realized I had pick up the wrong piece! I'm going to have to rip it out AND I forgot to "mirror" 2 of the pieces when I cut then out.....I HOPE I HAVE ENOUGH FABRIC LEFT!! I'm just about ready to see if anyone wants to take this "white elephant" off my hands....ggrrrrr!

If I keep having problems on the same item, I usually put it up for a while and come back to it later, then it usually goes together fine.

I've put this Lonestar up multiple times! Been in and out of my UFO bin for almost 2 years now!

I've managed to mis-sew 9-patches lately.

Yup, especially if I have started something, put it away, then come back to finish it. I have learned not to stress. If the points don't match the way I want, well, so be it. As long as they aren't horrendous it will be ok.

I find matching seams much easier if the fabric is starched before cutting and, on difficult seams, if I use a tiny dot of glue and the iron to "seal" the seam in place before sewing. Saves me a lot of ripping!

Oh yah, I bet we've all been there. For me it has happened while making clothing, handbags and quilts... doesn't matter what type of sewing it is. Usually within 15 minutes of starting work on a project I can tell if it will end up with me doing more ripping out and starting over than actually making any progress... so I go read a book, bake, etc.

Prism99, good tips, i am going to add those to my seams, i bought some fork pins and that also seems to help with my seams, my last project i went to school on the seam matching up, need all the tips i can get!

The last Bow Tucks bag I made I got the whole thing put together and was quite proud of myself for really taking my time to make sure everthing was perfect. (Well as perfect as I could get it) When it was done and the bag turned inside out and finished I realized I had sewn the inside pockets upside down. How I hate starting over.

Started an easy Basket weave the other day. I blame myself for making it harder than it had to be GRRR will end up nice when done. and don't want it to be a ufo or set aside, seems to be the Quilt that never ends!! :)
Oh shoot, might as well tell it all, vent it out. LOL
Thought I'd make a throw for a local charity, have some Fab for another project, the thought was just to use a small part for the throw. Thought I cut to do a mirror image in the center, these didn't end up mirror but were cool looking, so no problem. The neutral has a real small stripe to it, so it thought it would be neat for these all to go the same direction, HAH then needed more of one direction so have ripped to get it to go the right way. Then needed other colors to make it pop, then another and another, LOL and Grrr... now were way over throw size but the stripes will match !! All I know is I'm glad its not brain surgery :) I'll see if can post a pict of it.

You know when you are making hst and you go to sew them together and you have that little bit of light where the dark should be, in the corner? A very famous quilter who swore us to silence, pulled out her supply of permanent pens, fine point, and touched up every corner and the quilt was perfection. You could not see what she had done. She said very few quilts that you see photographed have not had this trick used on them. I do it now and again but I like to get perfection on my own. It washes beautifully, never runs or disappears.

The simple answer: Yes. Sometimes it can be something as simple as sashing and corner stones not fitting. Or a 9-patch develops a mind of its own. In general, I have the rule that - if the error is glaring (to me) then I will take it out twice and redo. If on the third time it is still off - it stays that way. Found out over time that the error usually disappears in the sum of the parts. We are sooooo close to the work that we see every missed point and every seam that isn't perfectly matched. We need to give ourselves a little leeway.

If you can't see those mismatched seams when riding by at 65 MPH in a high wind then I wouldn't worry about it.

Better finished than perfect.

Longarm

Guess I should have said while the quilt is hanging outside in a high wind.

Longarm

Ditto!

believe it or not, the Log Cabin technique I had a very difficult time mastering, and I finally gave up, and learned how to do it using the Paper Piece method, lol.. I did a full sized bed quilt for my mom using the PP / sew on the lines.. it turned out really beautiful (scraps in all shades of reds, and turquoises ).. And then finally learned how the regular way once I got the hang of it.. And everyone said its one of the easiest quilt patterns to master, HAHA... not for me it wasn't! I pulled out more gray hair I didn't think I had in learning how to do that..

Has anyone heard of that galloping horse? Perfection is something to strive for, right?

dingle,
OMG, I've done that!!!
I had to laugh when I read that.

It's kind of funny though, I can give this advice to others, but just can't seem to follow it myself.
It would be different if I wasn't going to try to sell some things. I just have to get some of these bills paid, and noone is going to do it for me.

My daughter who introduced me to quilting told me "no quilt is perfect - only the love that went into it - is." So when a point wont match, I remember what she said, and just enjoy the creation of another piece of love.

I finally have pictures. Edit: And now I see the mistake I have to fix. I will be so glad when this thing is quilted and finished.

I too have a pattern that I'm struggling with. I've made this top multiple times...it's not difficult. It's a type of bargello but looks like a Trip Around the World. I started this one, got off track or something, misplace a strip or something, the whole thing was off. I started ripping after I found out what was wrong. Finally finished that ripping stuff, put it on design wall and there it hangs. I don't want to even touch the thing. I loved the fabric, love the pattern but am so disgusted with it and myself I can't stand to even touch it!! I know, I know, I'm nuts but that's how I feel. I need to finish it so keep looking at it and telling myself to "Just Do It" but so far......

well of course!not sewing a straight seam, not cutting the patches exactly right measurements, and of course binding!
and yes again hard on myself,

just need to learn the "10 yard" moto! or what longarm just said, 65mph in a high wind, wow, hard to see that one!!
thanks ladies. I do love reading on this board!

Every time I sew...but like the little train....I think I can, I think I can.

I hate it when I get hung up in some little bitty detail that goes awry. Something that I know is easy to do, but for some reason...it isn't on a given day...so yes, I know how you feel. :roll:

My first REAL quilt from a Christmas pattern (also an ASG project)
had to be cut in squares, rectangles, triangles etc. It took me three months to make because I was a beginner and a perfectionist. (Notice I said WAS) When I finished it, I wondered why I had several squares left over but figured it was because I made some mistakes and had to make over some squares. WRONG!!!!! I left out two whole lines in the quilt. The funny part is I never knew it till a month ago I took it in for show and tell and another quilter pointed out my mistake. Oh well! I love it anyway.

Yes, its called LIFE! :lol:

Now pack it away for six months and forget it. You'll be rested by then and six months smarter.

I agree it is better to finsih it incorrectly and move on to something else. Otherwise that creative juice will get stopped, and it is sad....just let it go as a learning experience.

I'm with you on this. Right now I have a blouse that is almost completed and somewhere in the construction the neck area has really stretched out of shape. Bias went nuts!! It needs be taken apart and recut. Right now it sits there until my one nerve calms down. Yes, I've had quilt blocks seams go awry that needed special attention. I let it set for a while then go back to it.

I am so glad I am not a perfectionist. when that happens quilting stops being fun and I wil have to quit. only God is perfect and I am not God. Has no one told you the Amish Quilts have a mistake on pupose in each of their quilts. quit sweating the small stuff and have fun

Betty

I think your quilt is really lovely and whoever receives it will be so happy with it. We are always hard on ourselves, which, is good to a point, as we strive to do our best. BUT, indeed, we do need to know when to let go and be able to be satisfied with "I've done my best."

I LOVE this!

Another suggestion - Bargellos don't have to be matched seam to seam - they can be offset mid rectangle. You still get the Bargello effect without tearing your hair out.

I have an excuse that I get to use for another 3 years - chemo brain. It IS a side effect of chemo - muddled thinking, lack of focus, forgetting. It comes and goes, and it can be maddening. I do a sudoku puzzle in the morning - and if I have trouble with it, I know I'd better not try to do anything having to do with quilting - or face the consequences - ripping out - ruining fabric - you name it, I've done it!

Just pretend any "mistake" is your original tweek and love it.
Pretend it was suppose to be that way!

This being said by a perfectionist...but I am growing.
I have learned it will be ok.

I have learned God is the only one that can make a perfect quilt.

I have one sitting on my guest bed. I decided to make two, hand stitched Christmas wall hanging. One for myself and one for my son. I hand pieced all the stockings, then picked the best ones to go into my sons wallhanging. I should have just hand quilted it too, because I'm having such a hard time with my machine stitching properly. I finished my sons, and am still working on mine, but I am one step away from throwing it away.

Every time I see the word "EASY" I cringe. I always make something hard out of it. I guess I overthink on how I could make it easier or think I can just do it. I'm a visual person and like to see the finish project up close and personal.

This is gorgeous! If you decide to throw it, you can donate to me!!! I would treasure it!